The eccentric Shark Hugger

That's what the mainstream media obviously think she is.

But label or no label, those media reach out to an awful lot of people, among which yours truly who had never heard of the lady before.

Turns out that Dr. Ellen Pikitch has a bio (and here's another one) to make one's head spin and that her PEW Institute for Ocean Science is sponsoring a wide variety of highly worthwhile projects, as the (frightening!) PEW Global Shark Assessment, research aimed at protecting the Shark population of Belize's Glover's Reef or a new DNA-based monitoring system for improved US Shark conservation and management.

And she has co-authored a new book: "Sharks of the Open Ocean" is "the first thorough review of the Biology, Threats, and Management outlook for open ocean Sharks and Rays".
Virtually every pelagic Shark expert in the world has contributed to this landmark publication which includes the latest data and knowledge on pelagic Shark biology, fisheries, management, and conservation. 173 bucks are a lot of money but in view of both the topic and the authorship, they are probably a worthwhile contribution as this certainly displays all the hallmarks of being required reading.

Impressed? Me too!
May all eccentrics be like Dr. Pikitch!